A/N: Not much to say this chapter, but I will have a note at the end. Enjoy!
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The Captured Princess
By: Sanci J
Chapter 21: Complications: The Good, Bad, and Ugly
"I-Inuyasha..."
It was just a kiss. That was all. So then, why did the thought of kissing him make her stomach turn? Maybe it was fear. After all, she was inexperienced in those things according to Inuyasha, but didn't she have to be at least comfortable to give it a go?
Her breathing was ragged from how darn close he was, her dark brown eyes widening. Him being so close made her feel like she couldn't breathe. "N-No Inuyasha. I cannot..." Her voice was tortured because her heart and her mind were at odds, but when it came down to it, she wasn't ready for the 'meeting of lips', or anything else. Plus, she knew he wasn't her true love. Why, then, would she waste her innocence? It bothered her, but Prince Hojo deserved a pure wife, even though the thought of a marriage to him terrifying..
Inuyasha, genuinely shocked at her rejection, stared down at her. "What? How can you deny me when you haven't succeeded in denying it yourself?"
Her rejection made him angry and he pulled her closer with a brisk possessiveness that made her gasp-not from fear, but from the feel of his big arms around her. "I'll go slow if it helps, but I want you still, and I will have you," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes shining.
His bluntness filled her senses with fear and anxiousness, the kind when a lion is about to pounce on the lioness. Kagome struggled within his powerful grasp. "Do not tell me what I will do!" She glared daggers at him when he held fast. "Let me go this minute or...or I'll-" She found herself looking at his lips and glared, casting her glance away. 'What is wrong with me?' she thought desperately. 'Don't look at his body!'
"Or you'll what? Scream?" He had a cold look in his eyes and it startled her.
Kagome pulled harder, her posture rigid in defiance. "Stop this, Inuyasha. You're scaring me," she said with what she hoped wasn't a wobbly voice, looking him directly in the eyes. Wait-his eyes... They were different. His previously golden orbs were a crimson red, or were they? All she had seen was a brief flash, and they were that beautiful gold again. Maybe it was just because it was so dark. She couldn't have seen that. "Inuyasha?"
He growled in some sort of pain, as if he hadn't heard her.
"Inuyasha?" His continuous growling and snarling scared her. What was going on with him?
Inuyasha let go of her, his body growing taut with sweat. 'Damn this body! I will not lose control like I did last time...with Kikyou. Damn that wench and this one who looks the same!' He dug his fingernails into his skin so he couldn't grab her. 'I thought I had it under control, damnit!' "Kagome..."
Kagome lost any air she had when he said her name. That was twice in one day! But what was wrong with him? "Inuyasha, what is it? Are you alright?" She set her hand on his shoulder in concern, but he threw it off roughly.
"Get away!"
Kagome was stuck. She didn't know what to do. Her selfish heart wanted to help him and was cursing her for not kissing him beacuse she really had wanted to, and her mind had been so sure of itself that turning away had been the right answer until moments ago when he began acting un-like himself. "I won't leave you until you're alright..." she said, moving closer to him.
He growled louder, and she knew he had heard her.
"Inuyasha..." She grabbed his haori within her slim fingers.
Instead of trying to pull away, Inuyasha quickly pinned her down on the soft grass, answered with Kagome's shocked cry. He didn't even notice that his clawed fingers were buried in her arms. "I didn't want it to be like this...not again..." he mumbled, and Kagome didn't hear. She was too afraid of what he might do.
"You're hurting me!" Her body tightened and she felt a burning within her chest. A loss of breath, maybe? More like a desperation to be away from him. This was off. "Let go of me, Inuyasha!" Oh, but her arms hurt... Oh Kami, what was happening? Inuyasha was hurting her, not like before, but really hurting her. She winced when his nails moved, still in her skin.
She realized her mistake. This man was the ruthless one who kidnapped her. How could she have given her trust to a demonic bandit like this? He was still a killer, no matter what she wanted to think. And now as his nails sunk deeper, she knew she had to get away from him.
Unbeknownst to her, the jeweled necklace around her neck held a dim light, a soft shine as if it could hear her calls.
All of a sudden Inuyasha was thrown off of her to the grass. She heard his groan as his head hit and couldn't blink. 'How did Inuyasha get over there,' she thought.
He immediately touched the bump on his head and gazed over at her in confusion.
The look on her face as she scrambled to stand made him look away. She was as pale as the moon, her wide eyes full of shock. "How...?"
He cleared his throat, still confused. "I never meant to...my demon..." He lost whatever words he was about to say when he saw her back facing him in the dark as she took off in a run.
All Kagome could hear was the patter of her worn shoes against the soft ground as she ran, almost blindly, through the camp towards the wagon Rin was occupying. How had he jumped off of her like that? Could it be his demonic abilities that did that?
'What just happened?' She couldn't believe Inuyasha had just grabbed her and done this... The blood seeping from her wounds drenched her outfit and she moaned in pain.
Everything was happening too fast and she couldn't keep up with it all.
A tightening in her chest made her breaths raspy and her eyes pricked.
She was gasping when she reached the wagon, looking over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't behind her. He wasn't, and she was greatly relieved.
Kagome inhaled to quiet her tears and breathing. Overcome with a sadness that she couldn't fully explain, events of the past played in her mind, when Hansai...when he did that to her. Remembering it made her feel queasy, and tears gathered again.
Was Inuyasha just another Hansai? If he was-no, no, he couldn't be. She wouldn't be able to deal with that. After all, her feelings for Inuyasha were more than she had ever had for any man other than her father, and they wouldn't be there for long. Her hatred was returning rather quickly at his actions. She should have known better than to consort with the likes of him. 'Stupid, stupid Kagome!' she mentally cursed herself. 'Why couldn't you have stayed away from him? Why did you tease him? He's a demon and will expect certain things...' She stopped in front of the wagon, blinking away her tears. She was so ashamed of herself. Burying her head in her hands, she cried, ignoring the dribbles of blood that trickled shamelessly down onto her legs..
As she cried, her mind raced as she thought about the recent past. It had seemed so much like a dream, what had happened with Hansai. How come it had to become a harsh reality? All she had wanted to do was put it behind her, act like it had never happened - it was what she had decided - but the images of what had happened kept...kept coming back. She whimpered, shaking her head to focus on something else.
Like...Like-how long it had been since the 'incident'? Her days were falling in together and she couldn't even remember what the date was. Last time she had checked, it was...was it the month of June or July? It could only have been a few weeks since she ran away, right? But it felt like much longer. Had she really only known Inuyasha for a few weeks? She realized where her thoughts would go and scolded herself for thinking about him, her eyes involuntarily watering again.
Eventually she would forget about Hansai and what he had done, but Inuyasha... As sure as she was of her very life, she knew she could never forget about him and what he had done. The thought both frightened and angered her and she sat down against the wheel of the large wagon, the smell of various flowers wafting in the nightly breeze drying her tears. She had to think about what she was going to do with herself.
The same questions kept coming up whether she wanted them to or not. Questions about Inuyasha, what she really felt for him, and about who he really was. What was her purpose to travel with the bandits? For some reason, she knew all of the evidence was sitting right under her nose, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Miroku leaned back in Inuyasha's comfy chair with a sigh. Right now, all felt right in the world. He was now the leader of the bandits until Inuyasha's return, which he hoped wouldn't be too soon. Plus, having the authority might impress the beautiful damsel he had rescued from Kouga's unpleasant company.
Sango...that was her name if he had heard her correctly. He remembered the blush he saw darken her cheeks earlier as they conversed. The thought made something jump inside him and he couldn't hold back the grin of satisfaction. What a damn inconvenience it was that he couldn't sup with her because of his temporary 'leadership' obligations.
An unexpected rustle of cloth at the entrance of Inuyasha's quarters interrupted his jovial attitude and he quickly turned serious as he sat up in the chair. His only reserves about being the head bandit was that great power came great responsibilities. Though he enjoyed the benefits of Inuyasha's power, he never liked making major decisions concerning the whole lot of them. "You may enter." Personally, Miroku thought one of the good traits he beheld was the gift to have a way with words, unlike Inuyasha.
There was another rustle of the cloth before one of Inuyasha's top spies entered. Miroku remembered him because he was a small demon, a sneaky one with little backbone and a sharp mind. Miroku knew Inuyasha only put up with him because of his talent for entering their enemies' land to gather information. So, what did he have this time?
The demon had a serious look on his face, not surprising at all for him for he rarely showed emotion. "Where is Master Inuyasha?" It was just like him to go straight to business.
Miroku fought the urge to roll his eyes. He knew the demon didn't like his easy-going persona and that the only authority he would listen to was Inuyasha. Oh well. "He's gone on some sort of business...recruiting more demons and such to fight in the war," he responded with an easy wave of his left hand. "So, what is it you needed to say?" Miroku questioned, his tone all business now.
The demon eyed the ex-monk suspiciously. "I'd rather wait for him before showing anyone." Miroku noticed he was holding something in his grubby hand and eyed it.
"Well, Inuyasha will disapprove of you regarding me so disrespectfully. Give me what you hold in your hand Karasua," he said, his voice chilled.
The dirty hand tightened around the object in an angry silence before slowly holding it out for him. "What is this thing that is so important?" Miroku asked without expecting an answer. He grasped the paper between his lean fingers and dismissed the annoying demon. "You may leave." If this was anything of importance, he could look at it without being glared at in the process.
The demon Karasua threw Miroku a dirty look, which just proved Miroku's point. He just didn't have the gift of patience when it came to most demons.
The thought made Miroku lightly chuckle and the angered demon left with a look of hatred on his face. "I guess another benefit to being the leader of the demons is that none of them can undermine your authority," he said to himself with just a flash of a grin.
But back to other matters. The paper.
Miroku quickly opened it, the folded paper smooth against his calloused hands. The words were written in fancy lettering that made him squint in surprise. It was definitely done by one of the noblemen, he could tell, by the added loops and swirls along with the thickness of the paper. It was expensive, and one had to possess enough wealth to buy the paper to write on. He quickly scanned through the words and as he read, his eyes widened into saucers. "If this is-is true...I have to find Inuyasha right away!"
Miroku was still in utter disbelief over what this news would mean for the demons. This was what they needed. This paper would change their plans and their advantage would be greater. With a cheer of excitement, Miroku knew this would please Inuyasha greatly.
With this paper, they could defeat the Eastern Kingdom with but one attack.
Inuyasha walked around the camp smoothly without any emotion emenating off him, but inside felt the urge to rip something apart to relieve his frustration and anger over Kagome. He kept thinking about what he had almost done to her and cursed himself for his lack of self-control. What would a human do in a situation like this? Inuyasha knew those kind of men were what she liked, so what would a man like that do? His silent wondering didn't get him anywhere. He never spent any time around those weaklings, so he was completely clueless.
He thought of Miroku and his womanizing. What would Miroku do? He smirked as he thought of the possibilities. Inuyasha thought about the time when Miroku sang a love sonnet to a girl to win her affections after he had been with another woman. She had angrily brought her beasts out to kill...
Inuyasha didn't think that was the right approach...
Miroku also was a sweet-talker. Like at the bar, he was always flattering women into their bed, literally. Inuyasha quickly dismissed that. He was definitely not a flatterer like Miroku. Now that he thought about it, he had never needed a plan to win over any women, they had always found him.
He frowned in obvious annoyance. Who had said that understanding the mind of a woman was easy? 'I'll kill the human who spoke those words,' he thought.
His gaze wandered to the moon and he scowled at it. "Damnit..." he mumbled. Time was moving too quickly and the moon was large. Soon he would have to be very careful. That curse was back again, was there every month since his birth and it was the time when he was most vulnerable. His fear of being found out angered him. 'I'll do anything to keep that nosy wench away from me...after I...' Now that he thought of it, he figured it might have been a good thing that he had done that to her to keep her away from him.
He found himself walking for hours until he reached that same tavern he had gone to with Miroku. "At least now I don't have to worry about that damn monk getting drunk again," he muttered as he walked in, the familiar smell of women's strong perfume and unwashed bodies reaching his nose. He felt their stares and knew it was because of his unusual colored eyes and it didn't bother him just like it never did anymore. But only a few of the humans noticed him, for the men were talking loudly, their drunkenness evident by their speech.
"Those beasts...b-bastards...they'll kill us all!" a man spouted out between drinks of something that smelled strong enough to knock all sense out of any human with a small drink. He set his glass on his round belly, instituting how comfortable he was in such a place.
"He's right," another pointed out whose speech was better than the first. "I've been hearing things about war between the demons and the humans... If it is truth, my family will not be safe anywhere! What will happen?" This man was tall, but very thin and poor clothing covering his body.
Inuyasha took a seat at the front and listened in on the humans with a smirk. What would they say if he told them his men ambushed the Eastern Kingdom's royal palace? He could only guess.
"What-"
"Where did you hear such words?"
A strongly built man stood up, his body language exuding power. "Silence," he called out above the talk. "We aren't positive what is truth anymore, so stop giving the women something to talk about. There will be a war between the demons and humans, but no one is sure which side antagonized the other. Do not spread any words of war, for it could cause a battle we do not want. I fear the women and children will hear and we all know it will worsen the situation." He paused.
"But my dear family, Yamakawa! The demons are greedy for our possessions, our riches and our wives! We have to stand against the wretches before they form a plan of attack against us," the thin man said, angry.
"You will do nothing without consent!" the man called Yamakawa threatened, his leathery face worn from being in the sun too long. Inuyasha could tell this human knew what he was doing.
"Could I get you something to drink?"
The light voice broke through his eves dropping, and he turned back around, still keeping a sharp eye out for the drunkards and their bold leader. "Just a whiskey," he said, not even sparing a glance at the woman who walked away.
A man as lanky as a boy opened his mouth, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of a war. "If this rightly gets out of hand, we can band together - get all the sensible men together - and save our Kingdom. That's what I say."
The other men stared at him; most likely they forgot the boy was there.
"Well by jove, the boy speaks!" Yamakawa said in amazement before a bark of laughter escaped him.
The boy smiled slightly, but didn't say a word when Yamakawa ruffled his dark hair.
"Here is your drink, sir."
The soft voice once again had interrupted and he grabbed the glass of bubbling liquid. He smelled it before tasting, something he had done years ago when he had tested the quality. It surprised him that the habit had resurfaced and he narrowed his eyes, staring at the substance.
"Is the flavor unsatisfactory?"
Inuyasha looked up and realization dawned on him. This woman was familiar... He knew he hadn't done anything with this woman, for he would have known it. He thought about the last time he had ventured to this forsaken place; only recently, and this- this was the sharp-mouthed wench who had been with Miroku. What was her name again?
The woman's eyes widened when she recognized who the man before her was. "Y-you!" She pointed with a stutter, her voice carrying and Inuyasha immediately sent her a look that blatantly told her to shut her trap otherwise there'd be hell to pay.
She closed her mouth sheepishly and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect to see anyone I knew."
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he took a gulp of the alcohol. "You don't know me."
Koharu laughed at his quick defense, not missing his cold look. "Well, I suppose I do not know you well, but we did meet. How is he?"
Inuyasha wasn't particularly surprised she was asking of Miroku's whereabouts. After all, she had taken a liking to him. "How should I know. I haven't seen him recently." He finished the glass in one gulp and sighed.
Koharu wasn't satisfied. "Why are you back here again?"
Inuyasha inwardly groaned. Kami, he just wanted to drink in peace! And he had to think of how to explain what had happened earlier to Kagome. He really hadn't meant to hurt her like that.
"Are you having woman problems too?" Koharu blurted out.
"What!" Inuyasha started at that and smashed his glass on the table, his eyes dark. "What the hell is wrong with you, damnit! Stop asking questions and get me another drink!"
Koharu was staring at him in shock and fear. She rushed to get him another and he groaned in irritation. Damn, he just wanted to kill someone to take out his pent up anger...
Before he had the chance to yell for another drink, it was sitting perfectly in front of him, with, luckily, no trace of the girl. His dark eyebrows raised, and he drank it down without another thought.
"Remember the word, my boy, and do not speak of it to anyone." Yamakawa's words grew incoherent after that, and Inuyasha cursed his sweaty wig for covering his good hearing.
"Didn't hear a damn thing!" he said, stunned that he missed the part he had needed to hear. He could have heard their battle plans, and he had been too busy with that stupid wench! Kami, damn it all!
He growled, and in his anger forgot to pay the bill, he left so fast. He couldn't believe he had missed any information that could increase their advantage. This wasn't like him. He had never missed an opportunity like that.
A thought jumped into his head and he stopped dead in his tracks in shock.
Oh Kami, he was getting soft, like one of the bastard weakling humans. It was enough to make him sick.
Suddenly he took off in a run, his eyes flashing in anger.
It was only half an hour when he reached the camp, his eyes still beyond the normal anger level. His fists clenched and his eyes bloodshot, he instantly smelled Kagome's scent and went there, to the wagon, the chilled breeze affecting him.
Inuyasha felt a light drizzle of rain, and after another curse escaped his lips, he went under the wagon to get some sleep. 'Tomorrow we're going back,' he thought, his lips in a straight line.
Kagome groaned against the soft borrowed pillow when she heard the racket. At first it was soft, and hitting the wagon in pellets, but now it was just intolerable! She couldn't get to sleep for the life of her, and the downpour was just making the situation worse! She would have looked around at where Rin was soundly sleeping, but she couldn't see a thing.
She sighed loudly and shivered from the cold that drifted in through ominous cracks in the wood, which she also couldn't see...
The lack of light reminded her of her comfortable days back at the palace. Her room was large enough to fill about twelve wagons and carriages put together, the warm bed every night, three meals a day, the - oh, and the beautiful balcony! She understood how well she had had life back then, and was mildly annoyed that she was reminded of it every day.
Her heart felt a twinge of home-sickness. 'Mother...I miss you so much. And dear Souta, do not hold a grudge against me for leaving you,' she thought hopefully, almost like a prayer.
The rain spattered down, Kagome could tell, in great heaps, and she sighed in defeat. "Just great. Now I shall never get any rest." Her tone was sarcastic and she snuggled into the pillow, wishing it was her satin pink pillow that was beneath her head. 'I do hope she takes good careof my things,' she thought, momentarily thinking about Ayame. Pulling the blanket closer around her to keep the chilly air away, she closed her eyes, attempting to sleep.
Her mind drifted, as it seemed to do do a lot of the time, to another subject - Inuyasha. 'Oh, curses! Why do I do this to myself? Remember what he has done!' Mentally, she counted off all the reasons she should rid herself of her childish feelings.
For one, he was a demon who most likely was the one who intruded her lands, along with capturing her.
Two, he treated her, according to her mother, like a woman to be played with and then jilted in the end.
Three, he was uncommonly rude and...so intimate. The thought of it gave her bumps on her skin.
Four...was there a four? Yes, there had to be. Four...he let his men mistreat her and ruin her good name in front of all of the wretches! How could she forget that...
Of course five, he would definitely take advantage if he knew she was the Princess of the Eastern Kingdom.
Last but not least, six - his frightening display earlier, which brought up the whole demon thing again.
The relief she felt satisfied her for the moment, but the cursed rain would still not slow a bit. As a silent vow to herself, from this moment on, she would avoid Inuyasha as much as possible, and do as he would command without adding insult. It was the only way to save herself.
She rubbed her chilled arms to create a circle of heat when she felt the sticky blood on her arms. It shocked her, and confused her.
What had happened to her wounds? They didn't hurt a bit, and there wasn't any new blood either. Had they gone numb from the pain? There was no way any gashes that deep wouldn't still hurt her.
Kagome's frown deepened. What was happening to her body? Did someone put some magical medicine in her meal? She almost laughed. 'What am I thinking? No one would do anything like that for me, would they?' Her eyes darted to where Rin was silently sleeping, and with a wide yawn she shook her head at the impossibility.
The rain pounded against the wood louder and she groaned again. 'Oh, how I wish the rain would stop so...so I could sleep...now...' she thought as her eyes closed for the last time that night.
Inuyasha's ears perked at the light thump coming from above him, but he didn't move, for if he moved from his spot he would get even wetter than he already was. "Damn this weather..." he growled, holding his sword on his lap protectively to keep it from being damaged.
Sniffing the air, he noticed the rain was quickly slowing down. He watched a puddle expand as the last drops fell into it before the rain stopped entirely. "Well..." This wasn't the first time the weather had surprised him.
He leaned back against one of the large wheels and closed his eyes, the sudden image of Kagome's face of blocking off any chance of a good night's sleep.
Cursing, he quickly re-focused on bigger problems, like the battle. After all, it was his battle too; he was the leader and, damn it, he had needed that information! Just thinking about how vast his reputation could have been if he could have overheard something involving the Eastern Kingdom's war-plan. Damn that wench of Miroku's.
With a sniff, Inuyasha smelled something. Something awfully familiar, but he ignored it as there wasn't any sign of danger. He figured it was one of the gypsies, since he couldn't smell all that well from the rainfall.
He cursed the god that was keeping the Shikon jewel's scent from him. It had been a while. Damn, but where the hell was it? If he found it, now would be the perfect time.
Yawning, his demon fangs white and gleaming, he closed his eyes in a restless sleep.
She heard the dreadful rain's end and sighed, an enormous yawn racking through her. Ever since she was little, she had this superstition very time it rained: that something horrible was happening during it. The last time it had rained...wasn't it when Kagome was captured? Her heart went out to Kagome. This "Master" Inuyasha she was spending all this close time with was like the Devil himself to the Eastern Kingdom.
Sango nibbled on a nail as she lay on Kagome's mat, after having changed out of the gypsy outfit into a servants' dress to sleep in. Her dark brown hair was course and a nuisance after she had gone so long without brushing the kinks out, and she refrained the urge to run her fingers through it, instead thinking wistfully about what she had to do.
The man she had met earlier- what had he said his name was again?- hadn't seemed the least bit worried about Kagome and this Inuyasha fellow being alone for such a long time. She smirked. Obviously, the monk-man- that was what she had donned him with since she didn't know his given name- did not know enough about the regal propriety of women this age.
No woman, especially Kagome, for she was still royally the Princess no matter what the girl had said to Sango. But, she figured, being alone with the demonic man, as she had heard from a few other captives, that his notorious name was in fact 'The Gold-Eyed Killer', wasn't as big of a conflict as was the news Sango had yet to inflict upon Kagome.
How would she tell Kagome about her parents? It wasn't something one just blurted out without a second thought, but it also wasn't something she could tell her, saving her some pain. No matter what, Kagome would react, and most likely react blindly. Except, maybe she wouldn't be too upset about the death of her father. Kagome had hated him fiercely last time they had talked.
Thinking about that evil man made her shiver. She felt partly glad the sick man was put out of his misery, even if it was caused by some demon, it was what he deserved!
She sighed and moved to her side, closing her lids. Wait-now that she thought about it, who would move into the seat of the throne? The young Prince Souta? No. He was still recovering from an illness that had lasted years.
He could not be capable to take it over. Then who? A...a d-demon?
Sango gasped at a sudden insight, sitting up as she covered her mouth. The only solid solution was that...that Kagome...
This would mean Kagome would have to return to her Kingdom to take the throne as Queen!
King Higurashi swished his wine around in the glass, watching the swirl with a wry grin. "When shall I invade?" the eerie question left his mouth.
Silence.
He propped his feet on the cushioned stool beneath the throne and took a sip of the crimson liquid, swallowing slowly. "Shall I order them to strike while the iron's hot, or watch them try to gather their pathetic demons together?"
He didn't recieve any answer again and he laughed. "I suppose this is what the King of the Humans deserves, to be seen as a ruthless monstrosity to all, but the time will come...when this paper," he held it up proudly, as if expecting applause, "this paper will crush them." He threw it to the floor and drank more of the wine without a care.
There was a knock, and three more urgent ones that almost made him drop his wine glass. "Stop the knocking and come in!" he yelled in a raspy voice, his teeth a putrid brownish yellow.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prince Hojo hurried in, closing the huge door behind him. When he stopped before the throne, he straightened his royal blue tunic before bowing gracefully. "Highness, I heard you talking. Who was here?" He looked around, but they were the only two living creatures in the room.
"No one. No one at all," the King said in a friendly tone.
The Prince frowned an that, but dismissed it for he had other matters to approach. "I am very distressed about this battle. I have a good sum of my men searching for the Princess, but she has yet to be found. I am worried something dreadful could have happened to her. She was taken from her sleep by a demon, so she-she could be finished!" His face was pale and his twitching hand went through his hair nervously.
The King stared at the Prince, bored out of his mind. "If you have anything worth saying, out with it, otherwise leave my presence."
The Prince turned red at his treatment, but didn't say a thing. "I also sent for every eligible man, sixty-five percent to guard the Northern Kingdom and the others to come here. The demons will be attacking here, will they not?" he questioned through clenched teeth.
King Higurashi narrowed his eyes, but quickly disguised it with a placid face. "They will, I am positive. We will have them within our trap soon enough. They captured my daughter to get me to surrender, but that won't happen."
Prince Hojo nodded his head, a tight expression covering his handsome features. What he wanted was to get the Princess back to him so they could wed. "I must return to my rooms now. Good-night Your Highness..." He bowed quickly but elegantly and turned to leave the room, shuting the door softly behind him.
Right after he left, the King's man-servant walked in and stared at the ground after a bow. "My King, you sent for me?"
"Yes. I want you to keep an eye on him."
The man's gray eyes widened, his wrinkled face deepening. "The Prince, sire?"
"There is something suspicious going on; follow him and report his doings. That is all." He waved his arm in dismissal, and in picking up his wine glass, finished the exquisite flavored wine in one last gulp. It burned this time as it went down, and the King licked his thick lips, a glint in his eyes full of greedy anticipation. "So, when do you think I should invade?"
Silence.
A thin line of perspiration dotted Inuyasha's face as he slept restlessly. His head tossed back and forth, his fists tightly clenched as he dreamed.
He dreamed of his young mother, her soft hands touching his cheeks when he was a child.
The pleasant images suddenly turned dark, and he relived the death of his mother. The pain and anger overtook him as he visualized the cries of agony the King of the Eastern Lands had inflicted upon her, an innocent human mother who hadn't any knowledge of the evil King. The actions had lead to a deadly war between the Lord of the Western and Southern Lands, and the human King Higurashi of both the Eastern and Northern Lands.
The lands had once been peaceful, the demons and the humans living together, but then the war had separated the once one Kingdom into four separate ones. It all had happened because of what the now dead King Higurashi had done to his mother.
His dear mother...
The image of her pained face as her blood splattered moved him, if only for a short time. The pain, he feared, would never go away. It was the battle that had ended with his father's death.
The pain of losing his parents pressed on him like a weight, a dead weight in fact. It made it hard for him to breathe, and he found himself gasping for air. Was the hurt still so deep? He managed to keep from letting the emotion get to him by focusing on the anger.
Yes, the anger. It was all he had left.
He was gulping air as he tried to rid himself of the weight, but it pressed harder, to the point where he couldn't breathe.
If only he would have realized it wasn't the pain of loss that made his chest hurt, he would have known he was merely sleeping. That the pain pressing on him was as real as it could be.
Sorry, no kiss this time...It was too soon for me to write it. (wink) This chapter didn't have much happening, so, sorry if I did disappoint. I tried to hurry with this chappie, but you might not have noticed. It has been since December..
Addicted to Inu: Thanks, I'm glad you like it that much. Hey, it took me lots of writing before I got where I am, and there are lots more work to be done before I am a great writer. Practice makes perfect! It's okay about the whole, 'you're evil, update' kinda thing. I'm used to it to a point, so it doesn't bug me. I still update at my own speed anyway. -wink- Thanks for the encouragement. Hope to see your name again!
Overobsessy: Yeah, yeah...I know it took forever last time to update and this time, but I tried! Haven't decided about the whole Rin and Sessh thing, but I'm about 70 sure I won't put them together officially. Lol, I didn't think about Inuyasha giving Kagome his shirt to wear. Thats funny. I figured you guys would think Inu was trying to seduce her. Lol. So you want to be in this story too? Or was that a joke? Well, let me know of course, asap so that I'd be able to work it in. K? See ya!
Aurora Dark: Holly! You know you're not just a random reviewer! Hey, I have a strict policy to only answer reviews that have valid questions I can answer. I can only pick so many... I have gotten to the point where I had so many reviews to answer that it drove me crazy, because I do this answering thing, like, all at once. ()-() Yes, I'm sure there were many errors. I tend to have a blind eye to my own work sometimes...not a good excuse, but still glad you liked it. And I wonder how fast you'll notice I updated? Shall I tell you in the halls? Or wait and see? Teehee!
wicca-magick: I just had to respond to your enthusiastic review! I'm so happy you like it enough to read it more than once! Thank you so much for the encouragement, it means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
faintscent: Wow, you did have a big review. You weren't the only one gone. Well, I wasn't gone, it just took me a long time to write the last chapter...along with this one. Inuyasha is supposed to be scary, I mean look at who he is. He's a demon, and a bandit. People who are demonic and steal, along with murder are definitely creepy people. That's why he has to be that way. It wouldn't make sense if he just up and changed the character. Kagome is confused, who doesn't want to believe in something that 'won't' happen. That's how her character is. It's kind of like mine, now that I think about it, but yeah, that's why she acts like that. I recently saw You Got Mail for the first time, it was funny. But I don't see too much of a resemblance. Oh well. Well, the old potential boyfriend is gone, but there is a new one. If I had any good advice in relationships, it would be to already be friends with the guy before ya start wanting to date him. It's working better for me -wink- I understand what you mean about feeling left out. One of my best-friends is dating a guy, and it can get pretty depressing. I felt like that for a long time. I suggest filling your days with other things to do to take your mind off it. Thanks!
XGothAnimeGurlX: Well...I didn't think anyone wwould think this was a cheesy story. Interesting. You're the first to ever say that, and that's basically why I answered your review. Thanks, I'm glad it wasn't cheesy! Lol.
Thank you reviewers: Inu'sHardcoreBitchThatLovesRamen, dreamer1010, hAllOwEen, nobodykaires, touyalover, InuFanJinx, xdazedconfusionx, silveryuki06, angel-tears-16, ixchen, lady-joker, cool-chick-rae, xxhiddenkittenxx, kagome1312, lil-angel-fairy, gossa, Kagome Freak, I.N.O.F., strawberryslush, SilverRoseGoddess24556, sarah, niknak, goddess-love-fight-sessy's-angle3, Nessya, UsagiShippokitten29, Lynnah, XSoulSeekerX, chibiNeko192, Cherrysinger, Ammiers, PixiePam, Fairywngs793, InuTime, Hatori-12889, birdie101, Ash Eyes, Heaven and Earth, ash, serenity-angel92, Dreamerbaybee55, Inu-chan's luver, Selina, MoodiBunni, mortefille, MaiaLourdes, vampire's kisses, Ryukoji (Special Thanks!), IceFireWitch, danigirl52, lissa80195, Aurora Fire (Hey, best bud!), akuryo, Guardian Angel 213, DeAd-SiLenT, Inu-Yasha's1gurl16, lunabelle0, inuyashalover141414, Katsheswims, TurtleHugs, sammy, taijagardener, jax, Lizz456, burningcherry55, raven watson
All twists will eventually be answered, so that would be why I didn't answer many of the obvious questions that were asked. Try not to hyperventilate too much 'bout the wait. Ha.
-Sanci